Motor-cycle side car.



2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

2 1 2 0 u A d 6 Lb n 6 t a P Earl WEE/mam E. M. JOHNSON. MOTOR CYCLE SIDE GAR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1912.

Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

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Svwemtoz Ea rd d LJ hnsbn HIM/M000 a citiz n of the without increasing -tion is In all 'wMm-z'ma concern:

Esme M. JOHNSOE,

for the stated purpose invconstruction and which may be readily proceed spective view of a part more clearly illustrate Specification 0! Letters Patent.

applicat n flled enr l 1912. seriellmeemee.

Be it known t at 1,

United States, residing at Harlan, in the county of Shelby and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Cycle Side Ca s, of which the following is a. spe ifi ion. a

This invention relates to motor-cycle side ears and has for its-object the revisi n f meanswhereby, when the vehic e is turning corners or rounding curves, the outer side wheel'- of the side. car will be caused to assome a pitch or inclination equal to and in the same direction with the pitch or inclination assumed by the motor-(Eyelet 'A secondary object is to .roviwhic will be simple applied to the motor-cycle and the side car the cost of either one. A further incidental object of the invon to provide improved means for suppoitmg the side car, all of which will fully appear as the descripti n of the invention T e invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which v I Figure 1 is a perspective view of a motorcycle with a side ear connected therewith. and equipped with my improvements; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation, showing assumed by the wheels when roundlnga curve in dotted lines; Fig, '3 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation of 'a portion of the axle; Fig, a is. an enlarged detail peri the devi t some structural details.

The .motorecyole 1 may be. of any preferred type and the side 0on2 embodies a chair or seat and-a seat-supporting frame which the rear hub which is detachahly c nne ted to the t eycle.

In carrying out my nvention, I employ an axle heving'a spindl r stub a 3 up n of the motor-cycle is mounted in the usual manner, and this stub axleor spindle is rovided at one end with a head 4 rigid with the spindle. Inthe normal position of the parts, that is, the position assumed when traveling along a straight road, this head 4 will be vertical,

as shown in Fig, 3 and in ull in Fig. 2, but when the vehicle turns a corner or rounds a curve, the motor-cycle will lean to e a device the position the motor-cycle.

Patented Au 12,1913.

the inner side of the curve and consequently the rear wheel thereof will assume an inch- 1 nation or pitch, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. As the stub axle or spindle 3 is secured in the hub of the wheel, the inclination or pitch will be imparted directly to the axle, so that the head 4 thereof will be given a corresponding inclination or pitch, as indicated by the dotted lines. The up r and lower ends of this head 4 are for ed or bifurcated, as shown at 5, and in the f said forks or bifurcations I pivotally seure the ends of links or bars 6 which extend laterally at a right angle to the motorcycle and are of such length as to project beyond'the side of the side car 2, as clearly shown. The outer ends of these bars 6 are pivotally secured to the upper and lower ends of a" head '7, similar in all respects to the head 4, from which extends a spindle or stub, axle 8 rigid with the head and corre:

spending in all respects to the spindle or stub axle 3. Upon this spindle or stub axle 8 is mounted the outer carrying'wheel 9 which supports the side car; The upper and lower bars 6 are preferably angle-bars wherebythey are provided with forwardly projecting flanges or shelves 10.to which the frame of the side car may be secured, In the drawings, I have shown the side ear frame gas-embodying longitudinal sills or beams-11 having their rear ends securedto the flange or shelf 10 of the lower bar 6, and a suspension vided consisting of two members hinged frame or bar 12 is protogcthe'r, as shown at 13, the forward member. extending upwardly and forwardly from the said hinge 13 tabs engaged by a clamp 14 secured upon the steering head of The clamp forms a ball and socket joint with the said suspension bar or frame, so that the said bar or frame may readily follow the movements of the side car or the motor-cycle in traveling over rough or uneven roads and in turning corners without causing the side car to'rise from the ground and thereby tend to upset.

This free relative movement of the motorside car is further accommocycle and the hinge 13, as will be readily dated by the,

understood. The lower or rear member of this suspension the front of the side car and is then extended backwardly under the foot rest of sameto about thevertical plane of the fronh edge of the seat or chair, whence it is carbar or frame extends across ried upward as shown at 15, and then car 'ried backward, as indicated .at 16, its rear extremity being rigidly secured -to.. the

flange or shelf v o the upper transverse bar 6.. In order to more securely support the chair, the frame 12 is preferably pro- J vided with a branch 17 which extends rearof the bars are connected with the heads l cycle without the side car.

4 and 7 by pivot pins 20 which are preferably removable in order that the side car may be easily detached from the motor-v cycle-when it is'desired to use the motor- From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I- have provided an attachment for motor-cycles consisting essentially of a collapsible or extensible axle by which the rear portion of the side car is supported, and by which the tilting of the motor-cycle will be transmitted directly to the supporting wheel of the side car, so that the said wheel will be likewise tilted and the vehicle consequently enabled to turn corners or pass around curves without liability of upsetting.

By referring to Fig. 2, it will be observed that when the motor-cycle is tilted in making a turn the stub axle or spindle 3 will be brought to an angle from the horizontal, and the head 4, rigid with the said spindle,

. will-be likewise tilted. In the position illustrated by dotted lines the upper end of the head 4 has been tilted away from theside car, While the lower end thereof has been swung toward the side car, and this move- I mentof the head has been, of course, transmitted' directly to the upper and lower transverse supporting bars 6 of the axle, so that the said bars have been moved in opposite directions, longitudinally, and the outer head 7 consequently caused to assume an inclination equal to that of the head 4, whereby the two heads and the said bars retain their parallelism. As the head 7 is tilted, the stub axle or spindle 8 rigid therewith will likewise be tilted or canted, and the ground wheel 9 mounted on said axle will, of course, be given a pitch, as indicated in dotted lines, equal to that of the motor-cycle, so that the corner may be passed without any liability of an upset.

Should it be desired to use the motorcycle without the side car, the pivot pins 20 connecting the upper and lower bars 6 with the ends of. the head 4 may removed and the clamp "14: removed from the steering head of the motor-cycle, thereby leaving prevents mcaveil ient of the upper and lower parallel bars laterally of the heads, so that accidental release or disengagement of the parts is avoided.

It will. befunderstood, of course, that the wheels may beiaitchedto either side, but

that they will always remain parallel to each other, so that whether the'vehicle is turning to the'ri' ht or to the left the turn may be safely ma e without any reductionm speed.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed is-:'

1. The combination of a motor-cycle, a spindle fitted in the rear wheel of the motorcycle and having a rigid head formed on one end, said head projecting above and below the spindle, bars pivoted to the upper and lower ends of said head and extending laterally therefrom, a second spindle having a head rigid with one end and projecting above and below the same and having its upper and lower ends pivoted to said upper and lower bars, a supporting wheel mounted on said last-named spi dle, a frame secured rigidly to said upper and lower bars and projecting forwardly therefrom, a swinging connection between the front end of said frame and the front end of the motor-cycle, and a seat supported on said frame-in adgance of the said upper and lower pivoted ars.

2'. The combination with a. motor-cycle, 0nd a side'car, of a tilting axle fitting at one end in the rear wheel of the motor-cycle and having a supporting wheel fitted on its opposite end, a supporting frame secured rigidly to said axle and to the bottom of the car and having an upstandingfront member, a connecting member having its lower end hinged to said upstanding member, and a clamp secured to the motor-cycle and connected to the upper end of said connecting member by a ball and socket joint.

In testimony whereof I affix-my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EARL M. JOHNSON. [L. 3.]

Witnesses:

C. W. HARRIS, G. W. Common. 

